Donkey Sanctuary issues warning over hyperlipaemia
The Donkey Sanctuary has issued a warning urging people to look out for signs of hyperlipaemia in pregnant jennies.
The condition, which has been recognised since the late 1960s, is common in donkeys, including miniature donkeys and small pony breeds. Dullness and a poor appetite can all be signs of hyperlipaemia, and the condition can prove fatal without prompt treatment.
The Donkey Sanctuary stated: “A number of risk factors have been identified as contributing to this condition. It is known a female donkey is at higher risk than a male, especially if it is pregnant or lactating, when there are high-energy demands.
“When the donkey stops eating enough, the essential organs still require a food supply so the body tries to use the energy that is stored as fat deposits. The result is free fatty acids are circulated to the liver to be converted to glucose for use by the body.
“This system is controlled by complex hormonal events, which should shut down the amount of fat released from fat stores as the liver produces the glucose for the body. Sadly, donkeys and small ponies are not able to efficiently turn off the fat release and the blood soon fills up with excess fat in circulation.
“This circulating fat can be measured in the blood as triglycerides by your veterinary surgeon. Large amounts of fat cause the liver and kidneys to degenerate and fail, and eventually all the organs in the body fail. This results in irreversible damage and death follows soon after.”
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
